Superior Accomplishment Awards honor top UF staff, faculty

May 3, 2011

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — More than 400 University of Florida employees recently gathered at the Reitz Student Union’s Grand Ballroom for the 2011 Superior Accomplishment Awards ceremony.

The annual program recognizes staff and faculty members who contribute outstanding and meritorious service, efficiency and/or economy to the quality of life for students and employees.

The awards are presented each spring semester for the period covering the previous academic year. Awards are given at the divisional and university levels, in the following six categories: Clerical/Office Support, Support Services, Scientific/Technical, Administrative/Supervisory, Administrative/Professional, and Academic Personnel.

Division-level award recipients receive cash awards of $200 each, then compete for university-level awards, which offer eight $1,000 and six $2,000 cash awards.

The following individuals received awards at the university-level, the Superior Accomplishment Awards’ highest honors, and were awarded with a $2,000 check, a commemorative award, and an invitation to the president’s box during an upcoming home football game:

Clerical/Office Support, Gale Ryan, extension program assistant, IFAS – Food & Nutrition Program;

Support Services, Jake Mobley, police service technician, University Police Department, patrol division;

Scientific/Technical, Katherine Lindsey, IT expert, Student Health Care Center, administrative offices;

Administrative/Supervisory, Tanya Hughes-Joiner, custodial services superintendent, Housing & Residence Education;

Administrative/Professional, Leslie Pendleton, student affairs coordinator 2, Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs;

Academic Personnel, Shari Robinson, clinical assistant professor, Counseling & Wellness Center.

Four individuals received the Jeffrey A. Gabor Employee Recognition Award, sponsored by the Gabor Agency. These employees were awarded with a $1,000 check and a commemorative award. The recipients were:

Linda Bingham, senior administrative assistant, Finance and Accounting Division – Payroll and Tax Services;

Heather Daniel-Maness, senior biological scientist, College of Veterinary Medicine, large animal clinical sciences;

Michael Dozier, maintenance mechanic, IFAS – West Florida REC;

Kaylen Saunders, program assistant, Housing and Residence Education.

Recipients of the Willis HRH Employee Recognition Award, sponsored by Willis HRH of Gainesville Inc., were awarded with a $1,000 check and a commemorative award. Recipients were:

Cheryl Bell, associate controller 5, finance & accounting division, Treasury Management;

Tina Hall, program assistant, College of Medicine, department of psychiatry;

Kristin Nichola, program assistant, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, department of physics;

Bridget Stokes, senior laboratory teaching specialist, IFAS, Food Science & Human Nutrition.

“The Superior Accomplishment Awards recognize outstanding individuals and their contributions to the university, the community, and the world,” said Paula Fussell, vice president for Human Resource Services. “We are very proud of all those selected for this recognition and look forward to seeing how they will continue to help UF grow into the nation’s top university. I encourage all faculty and staff to recognize their peers and colleagues by taking part in the nomination period this fall for the 2011 awards.”

UF’s Superior Accomplishment Awards Program was developed to recognize deserving university employees. The program is coordinated by the Office of Human Resource Services.

For more information about the Superior Accomplishment Awards, and to view photos or the ceremony Power Point presentation along with video testimonials for the winners, visit www.hr.ufl.edu/awards/saa.